FIFA President Gianni Infantino has canceled the plan to sell parts of the World Cup to private investors, according to a report by ynet. The decision reportedly came 'at the last moment' following weeks of controversy and opposition from European football bodies. The report follows Infantino's earlier confirmation of the cancellation to Sky News.
Israeli news outlet ynet reported on Saturday morning that FIFA President Gianni Infantino canceled the plan to sell parts of the World Cup to private investors 'at the last moment,' adding a new detail to an unfolding crisis that has gripped international football governance.
The cancellation was first confirmed by Infantino himself in an interview with Sky News in the early hours of Saturday, as The Zioneer reported at 02:41 Jerusalem time. That confirmation came after a day of dramatic developments on Friday, July 31: first, FIFA's chief operating officer told the Associated Press that staff had been 'deceived' by the plan and that it 'must not go ahead'; then, reports emerged that FIFA had scrapped the proposal. The ynet report now indicates the plan was on the verge of implementation before being abruptly withdrawn.
The privatization proposal, first reported in late July, triggered an immediate backlash from UEFA. On July 30, UEFA held an emergency meeting of all 55 member associations and threatened a full boycott of the 2030 World Cup if the plan proceeded. The controversy was compounded by earlier reports of U.S. President Donald Trump's personal intervention in FIFA matters, when he successfully lobbied Infantino to overturn a red card issued to American forward Folarin Balogun during the World Cup, as The Zioneer reported on July 5.
The details of how the decision to cancel was reached and whether any compensation is owed to potential investors remain unclear. The Zioneer will continue to follow this developing story.
5 developments
- DevelopingUEFA threatens to boycott next World Cup, says competition 'not for sale' — N12 reports
- StrongUEFA launches unprecedented attack on FIFA's Infantino, threatens 2030 World Cup boycott over privatization plan
- DevelopingInfantino pushes back against criticism over 'selling the World Cup' proposal
- DevelopingReports: FIFA examining implications of expanding World Cup to 64 teams by 2030
Source and signal
- Open-source intake